Common Cause Honors Secretary of State Alex Padilla

LOS ANGELES –

California Common Cause announced today that it will be honoring Secretary of State Alex Padilla with its “Champion of Democracy” award at its Spotlight on California event, which will take place on Friday, December 1 at 6:30 PM at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion.

“Secretary Padilla has advanced bold policies to modernize elections and eliminate unnecessary burdens on Californians’ right to vote,” said California Common Cause Executive Director Kathay Feng.  “He and his staff have brought a breath of fresh air – and urgency – to expanding our democracy. He is a true ‘Champion of Democracy’ and Common Cause is pleased to recognize his many accomplishments.”

Since taking office as Secretary of State in 2015, Secretary Padilla has pushed an ambitious agenda to improve how California’s elections are conducted. In 2015, he sponsored AB 1461 (Gonzalez Fletcher), the New Motor Voter Act, which allowed auto-voter registration at the DMV. In 2016, he sponsored SB 450 (Allen), which authorizes counties to adopt the “Vote Center” model of voting, which greatly expands when, where, and how Californians can vote. Common Cause supported both bills. Secretary Padilla’s work to implement VoteCal has ushered in several long overdue reforms, including Same Day Registration and 16-year old pre-registration.

“I’m honored to be named Common Cause’s ‘Champion of Democracy,’” Secretary of State Alex Padilla said. “I’ve made it my goal for the Golden State to be the nation’s gold standard for voting rights. I’m proud of the work we’ve done to make it easier for Californians to register to vote and cast a ballot. I thank Common Cause for their work and will continue to do all I can to protect and expand voting rights.”